"When you assemble, each one has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification. If anyone speaks in a tongue, it should be by two or at the most three, and each in turn, and one must interpret; but if there is no interpreter, he must keep silent in the Church; and let him speak to himself and to God." 1 Corinthians 14:26-28

 Have you ever heard the expression, "You don’t throw the baby out with the bath water?"Unfortunately that is exactly what many Christian Churches have done by denying the proper exercise of the spiritual gifts because some have misused them.

When Christians witness in person or see on television evangelical Church services in utter chaos where multiple people are speaking loudly in tongues, and compare that with Paul’s teaching that services must be orderly and that all things must be done for edification, they often swing all the way to the opposite extreme and end up quenching the Spirit of God.

As a result there are a great many Churches which are spiritually dead. They are like the Church at Sardis which Jesus told, -"You have the name that you are alive, but you are dead. Wake up! And strengthen the things that remain which are about to die." (Rev.3)

 On the flip side, there are a great many Churches which are spiritually out of order. I can almost hear some of you argue, -"I am only yielding to the Holy Spirit and who am I to quench it?!"Paul, the person who gave these instructions to the Church possessed every single spiritual gift and spoke in tongues more than anyone else in the Church (vs 18) and yet he commanded the members to "keep silent" if there was no interpreter. And if there is an interpreter present, then still no more than three are to prophesy in tongues. If you are number four, then you are out of order and out of the will of God regardless of how you may feel - it’s not the Spirit of Christ moving you to step out against His own Word.

 Jesus sent His Apostles forth to establish congregations around the world. He used them to build His Church, so it is important that we follow their instructions in how we should conduct the Lord’s services-it is His Church.

 I should point out here that there are three types of tongues - a known language as was spoken and heard on the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2 - a Prophetic tongue, which is a prophecy spoken or sang in a heavenly tongue - and prayers offered in a heavenly tongue. A person may pray quietly in a heavenly tongue at any time, but a Prophetic tongue should not be spoken or sang in services unless there is an interpreter present to give the revelation of it’s meaning.

 In his other epistles Paul instructs the Church to come together with hymns and spiritual songs to praise the Lord. All together we see that the Church is to assemble to worship God and to fellowship with Him and our brethren.

We are commanded to come with hymns, spiritual praise songs, prayers and healing, tongues, interpretations, revelation, teaching and preaching - not just to hear a Pastor’s sermon. The Pastor has oversight, but the members are to be active, -one has a psalm, one has a song, one has a prophetic tongue, one has an interpretation, one has a teaching, one preaches and one prophesies.

This cannot be done in an hour -our morning service (Crusade Church) alone lasts 3 hours then we have interactive Bible studies and then testimonies- it takes all day.